


Mojo Rising

by antheia



Category: Hannibal (TV), Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-23 20:21:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antheia/pseuds/antheia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will Graham and Beverly Katz are a great Jaeger team, but can Will get over his past?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mojo Rising

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks are owed to [Deadfashionista](http://deadfashionista.tumblr.com), who got me through every single step of this, and then offered up a kick-ass beta. <3

Will stares across the table at his co-pilot’s plate.

"Are you really having cherry pie for dinner?" 

"Perks of being a grownup, Honey Maid," she smiles fondly, knowing she's the only person in the Shatterdome who can get away with calling him that.

"Dude, you have got to relax." Will ignores Zeller’s comment and looks directly at Katz, who eyes him levelly over a forkful of pie.

"Will you please stop sleeping with people I have to work with?" 

"Nope," she jams the pie into her mouth then twirls the fork with a flourish. "Besides, Brian and I don’t do a whole lot of sleeping."

Brian’s ears go bright pink, and Will’s mouth twitches in an almost-grin. Before he can reply, she's caught someone's eye and is waving. He twists in his seat just in time to catch Jimmy Price cocking a finger gun at Beverly as he strides towards them. 

"Katz, Graham, you ready to run through the tests at 1500?" Price asks, stealing one of Zeller’s fries. 

"Yeah, tell Crawford we'll be ready to jump through his hoops in half an hour."

* * *

He'd been through five possible co-pilots already. Every time a new one stepped up, he'd been three steps ahead of them from the start. Nobody had gotten closer than 4-1 against him all morning, and Marshal Crawford just kept looking more and more irritated, as though Will were doing it on purpose.

"Who's next," Crawford asked Lieutenant Lass, sighing.

"Katz, Beverly," Lass called out.

Will heard a calm, forceful voice from the middle of the pack saying, "Would you get the hell out of my way, that's my name."

She stepped out in front of him, her shoulders back and her jaw jutting towards him. "Yo."

Will smiled.

Crawford signaled for them to begin, and Will began to shift around her. Beverly barely moved, tracking him with her eyes and turning only when she had to keep him in sight. He shot forward and swung his stick at her ankles, connecting.

"1-0, Graham," Lass called out.

Beverly gave him a predatory smile and shifted her posture slightly. They had barely gotten the signal to go, when Beverly's stick swung out, stopping just before hitting his temple.

"One all."

Will felt something ignite in him. He quickly went up 3-1, but she burst right back to meet him. They paused for a moment, and he eyed her.

"I know you think you're some kind of big mystery, but you're not that complicated, asshat," Beverly grinned at him, and he returned it reflexively.

"Guess not," he answered.

Crawford motioned for them to begin and, within moments, Will had his stick at her temple. She glanced down and then met his eyes, and he realized that her own stick was thrust towards his abdomen.

Crawford nodded at them and walked out with his Lieutenant in tow.

* * *

Beverly winks at him from the right side of the conn pod as they set up. Will takes a deep breath and forces a smile, reminding himself that she'll be there anchoring him the whole time, no matter what. He fights to make himself stop there, not taking the thought to its inevitable, self-pitying conclusion. Suddenly, he feels a thump against his shoulder.

"Tell your brain to shut the fuck up, Graham." He looks to his left and she punches him again. "We're good at this, and we have work to do. Just be the boss of you, okay?" He nods, and she goes back to checking everything on her side.

Price’s voice picks up in his ear. "You guys ready?"

"Yup, we're set in here. Let's do this," Beverly flexes her fingers.

"Mojo Rising, preparing for neural handshake," Price says.

Will takes a deep breath and lets go. This part is easy, familiar; he feels the drift grip him, and they're right back where they started from. He lets the images form and re-form in front of him, not worrying about whose memories are whose. 

“Neural bridge active. Calibrating.” 

In a matter of seconds, they're right back in sync, like nothing ever happened. He mirrors Beverly's evil grin as they bring the Jaeger's arms up and out, and think "I am the lizard king, I can do anything."

* * *

Will shivered, pulling his raincoat tighter around his wiry frame.

"Dad, maybe we should head back!" He shouted, straining to be heard over the storm.

"Man up, son! We're not heading back until we've caught dinner."

Will counted the empty cans under his dad's fishing chair and realized he might as well go find someplace safe to hunker down - he wouldn’t get anywhere with his dad, now.

He was halfway to the cabin when a massive swell broke off their port side. He ducked below the rail and grabbed reflexively for a handhold. When he finally looked back out at the ocean, a huge creature, taller than some of the city buildings they’d passed on their way in, was striding through the water towards them. He froze in place; he'd never seen anything like it.

Suddenly something knocked into him. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Will!? Get below deck NOW,” his dad yelled, dragging him towards the cabin. 

Will shook his head and got his feet moving. He skittered down the stairs and under the table. He could hear his dad above, trying to get the engine on so they could get out of there.

The motor had just kicked in when he heard the creak of breaking wood. His father yelled something, and Will was gripped by nausea as their boat was suddenly airborne.

* * *

He sits bolt-upright in bed, tangled in damp sheets. Extricating himself, he heads to the sink. He takes stock of himself in the mirror - his skin is sallow and there are bags under his eyes. He looks like death.

He slips on his sweats and shoes then makes his way to the training room. He might as well do something useful with his time.

An hour and a half later, sweat slicks his skin and his breath is coming harder and faster as he slides into a squat then pushes against the weights back to standing. He pauses to wipe sweat away from his eyes and hears footsteps padding lightly to the machine across from his.

"Bad dreams?" Beverly asks. 

He keeps his count on his leg presses.

"You have to let it go, Will. I know how hard it is, but you just do."

Will stares down at his feet. She does get it, that's the beauty of the drift, but he also knows that she knows he can't let it go. She doesn't press the issue, and they go on in comfortable silence, the clank of the machines and their labored breathing the only sounds in the room.

* * *

It was a routine two-team play. Mojo Rising would engage the target, and Deer Hunter would hold their six, protecting the Bay Area if Loggerhead somehow got around them. They’d run through it fifteen times in a simulator, and had used it on their last two deployments. Even with the rain, Beverly had described it as a cake walk and Will agreed. 

Four miles offshore, the choppers let them drop and Garrett let them know that he and Abigail were in position. Mojo moved through the waves, scanning for signs of Loggerhead. Their head was turned when it attacked, its huge frame rising out of the ocean off their right side. It grabbed onto Mojo’s shoulder, and began tearing at their hip with its hind legs. 

Inside the conn podd, they screamed as pain shot through their bodies. Will reached up, and pried the kaiju free, throwing it as far as they could manage. As they staggered backwards, he realised, too late, that he’d thrown it towards the city. 

By the time they caught up with it, it was wrapped around the back of Deer Hunter, it’s claws gripping the robot’s massive head. The visor screen was shattered, and Will could see Abigail and Garrett inside their conn pod. There was a screech of metal, and the Jaeger fell forward as Loggerhead released it. As the Jaeger sank beneath the waves, two escape pods burst out of the water. 

Mojo Rising pushed towards the monster, but the storm winds made it rough going. Will froze, watching in horror as the kaiju snatched Garret’s pod out of the water and shoved it in its mouth, gnashing and swallowing.

“Will. Let it go! Get your head in the game! WILL! GRAHAM! COME ON, MAN!” Beverly’s voice seemed as if it was coming from miles away. All Will could see was the kaiju, the pod, and the waves washing over it, knocking it around in the ocean. He froze; he could feel the wind and water whipping across his face, hear the crush of a wooden boat and his father’s voice in the distance.

As Loggerhead reached for the second pod, Beverly engaged their rockets. Four missiles shot from their chest, knocking it away from the remaining pod. It wailed in anguish and launched itself at them. Beverly swung their right arm, their elbow blade engaged, splitting its head open. 

“Will. Come back. It’s not real.” Will shook his head, dragging himself back to the situation in front of them. He reached down with Mojo’s left arm, scooping Abigail’s pod out of the water and cradling it close to their chest. They turned, and made their way back to the Shatterdome. Will could feel Beverly’s fear as acutely as she could feel his guilt.

* * *

They're almost finished with their workout when the sirens sound. They both tense up automatically as they wait for the announcement to tell them if they're back in action.

"ACTIVITY IN THE BREACH. CATEGORY 3 KAIJU MAKING FOR SAN FRANCISCO. CODENAME: _RIPPER_. _TATTLE TALE_ PREPARE FOR DEPLOYMENT."

Beverly and Will relax - it’s Freddie and Brian’s watch this time.

"I'll meet you in the cafeteria in forty?" Will nods his agreement and they head off to their quarters.

By the time they arrive for lunch, it's pretty clear that something's wrong. Zeller and Loundes should have been back by now, regaling everyone with the story of their victory, and the looks everyone is sharing in the cafeteria tell Will he's not alone in his concern. Beverly walks up shaking her head at him.

"Yeah," he says. Before they can do anything, the siren goes off again and Price’s voice cuts through the room.

" _MOJO RISING_ REPORT FOR DUTY. PREPARE FOR CONTACT."

They exchange a look and take off in a run to get their Jaeger ready. Will hates it when he's right.

* * *

“KATZ. GRAHAM. GET IN HERE.” 

As they walked towards the open door of the Marshal’s office, Lieutenant Lass gave them a sympathetic look. Crawford gestured at the two chairs opposite him as the door clanged shut. 

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, Will. Your report came back from Dr. Bloom, and it is not the glowing endorsement I’m sure we all hoped for. She thinks you’ve made progress on your issues, but cannot say with complete confidence that you won’t freeze in a fight again. Nonetheless, she and I agree that you are an invaluable team in this fight. So I’ve decided to leave it up to your co-pilot.” 

Crawford paused to let the weight of his words sink in. 

“What are you saying, sir?” Will asked. 

“I’m saying that it is up to Beverly to decide if she wants to let you back into her head.” 

Will could feel Beverly eyeing him, and he turned to face her assessment. He was startled to realise that he couldn’t read her expression. 

She tilted her head and bit her lip, staring at him. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision. 

“I’m in,” she said calmly and definitively.

“Are you sure, Beverly? You don’t have to do this. I know I’m not stable.” 

“There is nobody I would trust more to have my back than you, Honey Maid.” 

“Good, it’s decided,” Crawford said. He closed the folder in front of him and handed it to Will. “Give that to Miriam on your way out. Tell her we’ll need Price to schedule a diagnostic test.” 

“Sir, don’t you have sign something in here or something?” Will asked. 

“Already done.” Will let his confusion register on his face. “I had a feeling, Graham. ”

* * *

They’re ready and being flown to the drop location in what seems like record time, but they both know it’s not fast enough. Brian and Freddie have been alone and compromised for too long.

Zeller’s voice comes over the comm system, ”Left arm disabled. Plasma blasts out. Rockets deployed. We’re like the fucking Black Knight out here, but we can’t exactly chew his legs off.” 

Will can hear the tension and anxiety in his voice, even though he’s doing a good job of holding it together. 

“Backup is almost to you, Tattle Tale. Hold on,” Price answers.

Will glances at his co-pilot as the choppers drop them; Beverly’s jaw is tight and her body language exudes confidence. “We got this, Will,” she says, glancing at him. “You know we can do this, just focus.” 

He nods in reply, just as Ripper comes into view. It’s massive -- over 300 feet of solid muscle, leathery skin pulled tightly over long powerful limbs -- towering over Tattle Tale, who’s using her remaining arm to fend it off as much as possible. 

Ripper’s head turns sharply, yellow eyes locking on them as it roars into the night. The light from the Jaegers bounces off the spikes of what looks like bone sticking out of its hide.

“Fuck,” they think, and before they have time to do more than brace themselves, it’s moving through the water to them. Its right claw reaches for them, and they put up their left arm to block throwing a right cross that catches Ripper just under the jaw, sending him staggering backwards. Mojo Rising follows him immediately, grabbing its throat and driving her left knee sharply into his abdomen. They let Ripper drop, and step into a ready stance while Will preps the left elbow blade . 

Ripper growls and dives at them, and they move out of his way just in time. It spins and comes at them again, and this time Beverly catches his neck with Mojo’s right hand. 

“DO IT,” she yells. And Will brings his arm up, driving the blade through Ripper’s windpipe as Beverly releases it. He yells wordlessly and draws on all of his strength to force the weapon upwards, slicing Ripper’s head in two. The kaiju drops, lifeless, into the ocean. 

Will slowly becomes aware of his own labored breathing and his and Beverly’s still-raised arms, Mojo’s elbow blade held aloft. He slows his breathing and they bring their arm down. Price is cheering in his headset and giving them the word to make their way home, but Beverly is standing calmly on his right. 

“Told you so,” she says. 

“Should we rescue your boyfriend on our way home?” 

“Nah, they can swim.”

* * *

**EPILOGUE: TWO MONTHS LATER**

Will reaches across the table and steals one of Beverly’s fries. He glances over at Tattle Tale’s team; they’re sitting side-by-side, deep in discussion. Freddie’s pen is poised over a notebook in front of them.

“She’s keeping a blog about their ‘adventures’. How fucking tacky is that?” 

Will laughs, “Honeymoon’s over, huh?” 

Beverly squints at him, then launches a fry, hitting him square in the forehead. He grabs it where it’s dropped on the the table and jams it in his mouth. 

The siren sounds, and their eyes meet. Price’s voice ring throughs the hall, and they’re up and moving before he’s done. 

_MOJO RISING_ PREPARE TO ENGAGE. CATEGORY THREE KAIJU IN THE BREACH. CODENAME: _DOLARHYDE_.


End file.
